title: Neighborhood environment profiles related to physical activity and weight status: a latent profile analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neighborhood built environments (BE) include combinations of co-existing stimuli influencing physical activity (PA). Dealing with numerous environmental variables and complexity presents a significant challenge. The current analysis explored whether a range of reported BE features associated with adults' physical activity produced distinct multivariate patterns, and tested whether adults' PA and body mass differed by BE profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (20-65 years, 48.2% female, 26% ethnic minority) were recruited between 2002 and 2005 from 32 neighborhoods from Seattle-King County, WA (N=1287) and Baltimore, MD-Washington, DC regions (N=912). Independent Latent Profile Analyses were conducted in each region with 11 environmental variables from the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. Validity of the neighborhood profiles was examined by their relationship to PA (accelerometer-derived moderate-to-vigorous minutes/day, self-reported minutes/week of walking for transportation and leisure) and self-reported BMI using ANCOVA models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neighborhood profiles for Seattle and Baltimore regions were visually similar, suggesting generalizability. High-walkable recreationally-dense neighborhoods differed significantly from other neighborhood types by as much as 13 MVPA minutes/day, almost 60 minutes/week of walking for transportation, and 75 min/week of leisure-time activity. Neighborhood profiles also differed significantly for BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings could help identify optimal patterns of environmental attributes that facilitate physical activity and improve weight status.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, 3900 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310, San Diego, CA 92103, USA. madams@projects.sdsu.edu
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sallis
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saelens
authors.forename: Lawrence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Kelli L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cain
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy / Q000295:instrumentation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015142:Baltimore; D001835:Body Weight; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014861:Washington; D055815:Young Adult